Kathmandu, August 16

The Dairy Development Corporation has hiked prices of milk ranging from Rs 4 to Rs 10 per litre to be effective from Thursday.

The price of standard milk, which is the major milk product of DDC, has been increased by six rupees a litre and it will cost Rs 70 per litre from tomorrow. On an average, it sells 75,000 litres of standard milk daily.

DDC has raised the price of cow milk from Rs 72 to Rs 80 per litre, whole milk from Rs 80 to Rs 90 a litre and non-fat milk from Rs 60 to Rs 64 per litre, according to DDC Spokesperson Ishwari Prasad Adhikari. However, the price of whole milk has been increased by only six rupees to Rs 86 per litre outside Kathmandu Valley.

According to DDC, on average it sells 10,000 litres of cow milk, 20,000 litres of cream (whole) milk and 10,000 litres of tea milk (non-fat) daily.

Comparative list

Products

Old

New 

Standard milk

Rs 64

Rs 70

Cow milk

Rs 72

Rs 80

Cream milk

Rs 80

Rs 90

Tea milk

Rs 60

Rs 64

The state-owned enterprise, which has 40 per cent market share in the country, said it hiked the price to benefit farmers. Following the grievances of milk producing farmers that the price of milk has remained stagnant despite the rise in production cost, the Ministry of Agricultural Development allowed DDC to hike the price of milk at an average of six rupees per litre based on a study carried out by the Dairy Development Board.

The Dairy Development Board had been asked to carry out a study on production cost of milk and recommend price adjustment. The board had submitted its study to the ministry recommending price adjustment in milk products. DDC said around 71 per cent of the adjusted price would directly go to the farmers.